The Biggest Issue With the VGAs? One of 2012’s Best Games Was Nowhere To Be Found

Let’s face it, the Spike TV Video Game Awards show is just a two-hour commercial for videogames. This isn’t a bad thing; if we don’t take it seriously, we won’t have to go into a hissy fit when two-thirds of the awards weren’t shown on screen. Besides, half of the people watching were probably more interested in seeing the premieres than finding out who won anything. To prove my point: The biggest nerdgasm moments this year involved Dark Souls II and Metal Gear Solid VThe Phantom Pain.

Yet, I can’t help but notice something off during the 10th annual VGAs.

As one would expect, some of the commercials would be extended cuts that featured recently released videogames. One of said spots was for Far Cry 3, featuring what felt like two minutes of footage, cutscenes, and review excerpts. Pretty standard stuff, right? But when the quotes were read on air, I cried foul. You can’t have an advertisement for a game that’s “One of the best shooters I’ve ever played” to air during an award show and then not have it be featured anywhere in said show.

As for the outlets behind the quote, you can look at both IGN and EGM, reputable publications in the industry. Oh, and for those wondering, Far Cry 3 is currently scoring a 91 over at Metacritic, placing in company of the best rated games of the year.

I get it. Cutoff dates need to be met. The VGAs aired on December 7th, 2012. Far Cry 3 was released in North America on December 4th, 2012. Based on that merit, there’s no possible way to include the game on the show. I just want to further point out that IGN’s review was posted on November 21st, 2012. A whopping one day after Episode 5 of The Walking Dead was released. Am I saying that Far Cry 3 deserves to win all the awards? No, far from it. It’s not even my personal Game of the Year. But it at least deserves consideration into the matter, especially over the likes of Assassin’s Creed III.

The biggest “joke” concerning the VGAs is that it’s not a serious award show. Regardless of whether it wants to be or not, you have to consider the fact that the big three award shows, Golden Globes, Grammys, and Oscars, take place in January and February. You better believe that, provided they’re good enough, movies released on Christmas Day will be nominated. For the record, both Django Unchained, the latest from Quentin Tarantino, and Les Misérables open on the holiday and are expecting at least some award buzz.

I could care less about the show’s seriousness, though. All of these awards are completely subjective anyway; we’re undoubtedly going to see Game of the Year stickers plastered over the covers of The Walking Dead, Far Cry 3, and probably a handful of other games. But on a night where we’re celebrating a medium we love, it would of been nice for one of the year’s best to be in that spotlight.

And hire someone who doesn’t call Gabe Newell “Garry.” You can hear 4chan plotting from across the globe over that one.